Moving into their new home, Sally discovers a dead body inside one of the barrels but when Mac and the police arrive both barrel and body are gone.Moving into their new home, Sally discovers a dead body inside one of the barrels but when Mac and the police arrive both barrel and body are gone.Moving into their new home, Sally discovers a dead body inside one of the barrels but when Mac and the police arrive both barrel and body are gone.
- Dickerson
- (as Warren Kemmerling)
- Gene
- (as William Hurley Traylor)
- Wainright
- (as Larry Cook)
- Restaurant Patron
- (uncredited)
- Officer Ferguson
- (uncredited)
- Secretary
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe portrait of the man McMillan takes from the gallery was painted by Thomas J. Wright, the same man who painted all of the paintings used in Night Gallery (1969). Both shows were produced by Universal at the same time.
- GoofsIn one of the scenes by the warehouse where the barrels are stored, supposedly on the San Francisco waterfront, a sign is partially visible in the background that reads "Port of Lo" (clearly "Port of Los Angeles").
- Quotes
Commissioner Stewart McMillan: What have you found out, Enright?
Sgt. Charles Enright: Well, we're off to see Mr. Buchanan who runs the moving company, sir, but we searched both kinds of barrels in storage there but there's no barrel with a body in it.
Commissioner Stewart McMillan: What do you mean both kinds of barrels?
Sgt. Charles Enright: Well, there are two kinds of barrels, there are storage barrels and there are shipping barrels.
Commissioner Stewart McMillan: And the barrels we received are shipping barrels?
Sgt. Charles Enright: Right. Now I found it's not possible to store a shipping barrel but a shipping barrel you can store.
Sally McMillan: I'm not sure I follow that.
Sgt. Charles Enright: Let me simplify things. There are two kind of barrels: there are shipping barrels and there are storage barrels. A shipping barrel you can store and ship but a storing barrel you can only ship - I mean store; so you can ship a shipping and store a shipping but for storing you can only ship - I mean store...
Anyway, this starts off a bit shaky, with Sally at her most ditzy and flakey. She does lots of screaming and squealing, which wears thin. But Susan St James is also believably shaken up when she finds that body, so her talent shows through. I love how much Mac obviously supports her and trusts her even though she is being so flaky and seems delusional. And later he shows how good he is at his job when he catches Sally use the term scooter for a cop, proving to him right away she has been telling the truth. After the iffy beginning, things improve quickly.
I noticed this was directed by the great John Astin, and then noticed this was the first full length show he directed! He does a great job which many more seasoned directors couldn't pull off, especially considering there are shoot outs and chases plus excellent comedy. There are comic moments thrown in along the way like Mac and Sally being perfectly in sync when putting their feet up or taking off their jackets. And there's Enright trying to interview a guy while he is playing baseball. Only a comedy pro could handle directing these moments so naturally. Astin may have come up with it all himself too.
Speaking of Enright, I always loved scenes throughout the series where he was home alone trying to eat or sleep, or entertain a date, and always getting interrupted. That starts right here and his scenes are so funny. John Schuck was a favorite of mine as a kid when he seemed to show up in almost every show.
This episode is indeed delightfully old-fashioned and corny at times, which is part of its charm. To think though showing a couple in bed together, like Mac and Sally, was still relatively new for tv in 1971. There's a lot of entertaining "who's on first" type speedy dialogue. Many familiar faces guest star, including Kenneth Mars, who first was in The Producers and would soon feature in yet more of Mel Brooks' most successful movies. I also always liked Carmen Zapata, who guested on many shows in the seventies and eighties. She gets a quick comic scene as a grieving widow. Show regular, Nancy Walker, is only in a few scenes but she always steals them.
If you can get past Sally's I Love Lucy antics in the first half, this episode is well worth watching for any McMillan fan.
- xbatgirl-30029
- Sep 2, 2022
- Permalink